Growing in New Fields
by Manal Hafeez
Wildflowers. Those colorful, vibrant flowers stand tall and bloom wherever they take root. Whether it's the side of a busy highway or in the scorching desert, they always find a way to grow, adapt and thrive in harsh conditions. Their resilience reminds us that unfamiliar environments provide new opportunities.
Globally, 1 in every 70 people on earth is forced to flee from the comfort of their homes. Persecution, human rights violations, war, and just being a few of the reasons. This adds up to a staggering 117.3 million people globally being displaced. For many, adapting to new environments is not a choice but a necessity. Leaving familiar environments is discouraging, provoking a sense of uncertainty, as rebuilding their lives seems overwhelming.
But just like a wild flower, some refugees proved that adapting to change can lead to remarkable growth. The most powerful example is Albert Einstein, a world-renowned theoretical physicist known for revolutionizing physics by introducing ideas such as the theory of relativity. Facing life threats, due to his Jewish background under the Nazi regime, he was left with no choice but to cross borders. Eventually settling in the US, he never stopped his revolutionary work.
Michael Marks is another prominent example. He settled in the UK as he faced threats due to his Jewish background under Russian rule. Arriving in the UK, he did not even speak a word of English, but ended up building a world-famous retail company, Marks and Spencer. While Sifan Hassan was born in Ethiopia and forced to flee her country. Coming to the Netherlands, she became a world-class athlete, winning multiple Olympic gold medals.
Leaving one’s home is no easy task, just like Warsan Shire said, “No one leaves home until home is the mouth of a shark.” Instead of letting this harsh reality demotivate us, we can turn towards the wildflowers which grow in unexpected fields. Refugees, too, can grow from uncertain beginnings, rebuilding their lives from scratch.
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